The Annihilator
by ioxmo
Summary: Linda reaches a boiling point from Candace's antics and snaps at her. This minor tiff begins to unravel Candace as she is far more troubled than anyone ever knew.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Phineas and Ferb or profit from it in anyway. Also, this story is rated M for language and violence.

It was another typical, sun-drenched summer afternoon in Danville as birds chirped happily, the scent of freshly-cut grass drifted along a gentle breeze, and the worn brakes of an aging, red station wagon pulled into the driveway of the Flynn-Fletcher household.

As the engine died, Linda could already see the flagrant waving of her daughter's arms as she hurled towards the car.

"Not today." She mumbled as she pulled the keys from the ignition.

"Mom! Mom! Mom!" Candace yelled as she pounded the driver's side window.

Linda pinched at the fold between her eyes as she bent her head. Candace continued to beat at the window with one fist as the other hand yanked at the locked door handle.

"I'm not having a good day." Linda said sternly as she tugged the interior handle, allowing the door to be flung open violently.

Her warning fell on deaf ears as Candace ripped her mother from the seat, abandoning a pile of documents within.

"Mom, Phineas and Ferb built a life-size replica of the Sphinx in the backyard with my head on it!"

Linda grumbled a bit, only barely able to push the door shut before being whisked away by her neurotic daughter.

"I mine as well get today's reminder of missing the pill out of the way." She thought.

The gate to the backyard was quickly cast aside and Candace righteously thrust her finger into the air.

"Look!"

There was nothing amiss.

"B-but, it was... it was just there!" She mumbled, finger shaking, "Right there!"

Linda sighed deeply.

"Okay, Candace, you've met your crazy quota for the day. I'm going to get my purse and papers, head into the house, and get this missing check sorted out with the bank."

She turned and headed back towards the driveway.

"No!" Candace yelled, grabbed her mother's arm and yanking her further into the backyard.

"C-Candace!"

Linda pulled herself free as they reached the boys and their friends.

"I'm going inside, Candace. I don't have time for your psychotic nonsense today."

Again, Linda's words were not processed. Candace grabbed each brother by a fistful of fabric and pulled them close.

"You two little hellions are not getting away with it this time." She growled, "What did you do with the Sphinx?!"

Both Isabella and Baljeet took a step back from an unusually aggressive Candace; Buford raised a brow with confusing attraction.

"Well, there was this odd green and yellow light and then it turned into a herd of gazelles." Phineas said, dauntless against his sister's aggression.

"A herd of gazelles...really?" Candace asked, eying her brothers with intense skepticism before turning towards Isabella, "Is that right."

"Y-yes," she said meekly, slightly intimidated, "And they pranced away."

Candace spun her head to the right and stared ferociously at Baljeet.

"It is true." He said, taking another step backwards.

"That's a bunch of horse..." Candace began, before hesitating, "It doesn't matter. I will find them! And when I do, I'll put them back together again."

She shoved her brothers hard enough to send them to the ground as she cackled ominously.

"That's enough!" Linda screamed as firmly grabbing Candace by the shoulder.

She spun her daughter around and was immediately confronted.

"But it's true!" Candace said, pointing back at her brothers, "They know it. Isabella, Baljeet, and Buford know it!"

The kids looked at one another. Candace rolled her eyes and grabbed her mother's shoulders.

"You've got to believe me, I'll prove it this time! I'll-"

"No!" Linda yelled loudly as she swatted Candace hands away, "That's enough young lady!"

"But mom I'm so close!"

"No!" Linda yelled even louder as she waved her hands across her chest, "It's every day with this. Every single God damned day! I'm done!"

The kids looked at their feet in unison.

"Well, I've had it, Candace! I've indulged your psychotic crap long enough!"

"B-but, but..." Candace mumbled, letting her arms go limp at her side.

"Save it! Maybe if you had a life, you wouldn't spend all your time fabricating these ridiculous stories to get your brothers in trouble, or whatever you're trying to do. Maybe then you'd have time to do something, I don't know, normal." Linda ranted, "And maybe, just maybe, I could have a moment of freaking peace when I get home!"

Tears quickly reached threshold and Candace's lip quivered. Linda sighed and slid her face into a palm. The kids shot glances at each other during the brief silence, not having the courage to look up. Linda let out a long, audible sigh.

"Candace..." She said, rubbing at her forehead, "I'm sorry. I've been having a really bad day and I'm taking it out on you."

It was too late. Tears streamed down Candace's face and she retreated toward the backdoor.

"Candace!" Linda yelled with compassion.

The backdoor closed harshly, leaving Linda to apologize to her other children and their friends.

Glintless, plastic stars were all that occupied Candace's mind as she sulked atop her flowered comforter. It was very quiet in the room with the exception of an occasional noisy exhalation brought on by late summer allergies. Her mother's outburst had affected her greatly and she was totally unsure of how to react, so she didn't. The familiar, buzzing whir of her cell phone broke the stillness. Candace labored to slip her hand into her pocket. She pulled out the silver contraption and wiped the outside screen with her thumb. It was Stacy. She rolled her thumb over the side, steamrolling the buttons until the phone went silent. The phone rolled away as she let her arm slump back to the mattress.

"You know..." Linda said a bit meekly as she edged into Candace's room, "Maybe you should answer it."

Candace didn't respond or even acknowledge her mother; she was unsure of how to react and afraid to incite more wrath. Linda approached and sat near her daughter, making the brass frame creak loudly.

"Honey," She said softly as she placed her hand on Candace's thigh, "It's been two days. I know I hurt your feelings and I've said I'm sorry and I'll say it again. I'm sorry, honey, I really am."

Candace continued to stare at the yellow stars.

"Candace, you know I didn't mean to be so hard on you, right?"

Candace shut her eyes.

"I was just so mad that the bank messed up and...well, it doesn't matter. That's no excuse for how I treated you."

After a brief pause, Candace sighed.

"I know, mom." She said as she sat up.

She leaned in for a hug and was welcomed tightly.

"I love you, honey." Linda said, squeezing even harder.

"I love you too, mom." Candace said with a much underwhelming embrace, "I'm feeling better."

"I'm glad you are," Linda said as she finally released her hold, "Dinner will be done in about fifteen minutes."

Candace nodded and watched as her mother left the room. She let out a deep sigh, giving her a gentle relief. As she slowly lifted her head and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, a shock wave struck the house, causing everything on the walls to rattle violently. Candace let out a primal growl and leapt to her feet.

"What are those two up to now?" She grumbled.

She rushed to her recessed window, kneeling on the shelf directly in front of it. Her condemning eyes scoured the backyard and quickly were upon her brothers and their friends. Black smoke billowed from a small, metallic cube.

"What is that thing?" She said with an earthy growl as she pressed her forehead and nose against the glass.

She watched as Phineas silently talked, then laughed, with the others following suit. It made her grind her teeth. She reached down to grab the sill when a familiar voice spoke.

"They never get what's coming to them, do they?"

Candace released her grip and placed her hands back on the same smudges she had just created.

"They just get away with whatever they want and leave you high and dry to clean up the mess, take the blame, and look like an idiot."

Candace sighed, bumping her head against the window pane rhythmically.

"You can't rely on that bitch anymore," the voice continued, "You're going to have to take matters into your own hands."

Candace pressed herself away from the window and leaned back against it.

"I can't do that," She said to an empty room.

"You have to. Your mom sure as hell isn't going to." the voice retorted.

Candace began bumping the back of her head against the window.

"And that other bitch, Stacy," the voice continued, "she can't be trusted with anything."

"Shut up!" Candace said, angrily, "Stacy is my best friend."

"She couldn't do something as simple as press a button and film an enormous miniature golf course for you! She's failed you many times, actually."

Candace shifted around as she continued to listen.

"And she laughs at you. You're just a joke she shares with the internet, you know. You really think she sticks around and puts up with your neurotic shit because she likes you?"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Candace screamed, clawing at the side of her head.

"I'll shut up when you give me what we want." the voice said smugly.

"Please, leave me alone." Candace said in almost a whimper as she pulled her knees to her chest, "Just...please."

"I'm not going away, Candace. I'm a part of you; I always have been and I always will be."

Tears rolled down Candace's cheeks and she attempted to conceal them with quick swipes with her palms.

"Let's not forget your brothers and their little friends," the voice berated, "You just let them roam around freely, not only disrespecting your authority as their superior, but also blatantly setting you up to look like a nut job in front of mom!"

Candace wiped some more tears away before she released her knees from their fetal position.

"You've got a point." She said aloud, leaning the side of her head on a nearby Ducky MoMo plush toy.

Linda's muffled voice suddenly rolled into the room, signaling dinner was ready. Candace grunted with frustration and rose to her feet, clawing her messy hair straight. Sniffing, she faintly sensed stewed meat.

"Don't forget to pick out any mushrooms in the roast or your throat will close up again."

"I know that!" Candace grumbled as she walked out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Several days had passed since the strife between Candace and her mother. Although everything had seemingly been healed, Candace's inner voice refused to let it die. Despite the bright, sunny day, Candace sulked at the kitchen counter with her face buried in crossed arms. She constantly shifted on her bar stool just as her thoughts did, trying to find some peace from her increasingly intrusive inner voice. As she started rubbing her face into the counter, Linda entered the house from the back door.

"Don't get too dirty, boys." She said as a thumb massaged her head.

Candace rolled her head to the side.

"Honey, I'm going to lie down for a bit," Linda said as she gently closed the door, "This pollen is playing havoc on my allergies."

She stepped to her daughter and softly slid her hand across her back.

"Did you hear me, sweetie?" She asked as she gently rubbed.

"Yeah, I heard you, mom." Candace mumbled.

"Don't let me sleep past...two o'clock if I fall asleep, okay?"

"Okay." Candace mumbled again.

Linda wrapped up her consolement with a reassuring pat.

"Keep an eye on your brothers and try to have some fun today. I love you."

"I love you too, mom." Candace said as she rose from the counter.

Linda retreated to the living room and Candace approached the refrigerator. After rooting her way through bottles and jugs of varying fullness, she settled on a narrow, glass bottle with a cartoon medley of fruits prominently displayed on its front.

"They're smarter than you, Kevin." A familiar, deep voice suddenly said.

Candace sighed angrily as she stared into the refrigerator, not wanting to acknowledge her long-time, unwelcome companion.

"Of course, I mean your brothers." He continued, "You know it and, more importantly, they know it."

Candace tried to ignore her antagonist as she closed the fridge door and reached for a nearby cupboard.

"The rub it in your face nearly every single day and laugh at you when they get away with it."

Candace continued to ignore as she poured herself a small glass of fruit juice.

"Your mom thinks nothing of you," he continued, "She can't hardly be bothered when you try to show her the truth. You must punish the ones who make you a fool, Kevin. You must also punish the enablers, those who choose to ignore you, and-"

Candace slammed the bottle against her head, causing a shower of juice to to jump the rim.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" She growled as she dropped the bottle, "Stop telling me what to do!"

She felt as if her body was ablaze as she angrily turned to face her adversary. Her fist shook at air; The imaginary zebra nowhere in sight. She breathed with small growls as her teeth grit and she scanned the room with hateful eyes. With no engagement from the zebra for several tense seconds, Candace ran her shaky fingers through her hair. She felt the sticky residue of the juice and suddenly realized her shirt was drenched. An emotional surge overcame her and a torrent of burning tears forced their way out. She tried to compose herself, but collapsed to her knees in a puddle of juice and grinded her face into both palms. Staccato whimpers filled the kitchen as she sobbed alone.

It only took a superficial rinse and change of clothes to be rid of the fruity muck. Candace caught a glimpse of her alarm clock as she fanned her damp hair; it was just after one in the afternoon.

"Maybe I should take a nap." She mumbled as she flopped down onto her bed.

She reached up and carefully rubbed the tender spot where the bottle had struck earlier.

"Maybe you should come up with a plan." Her inner voice interjected.

"Maybe you should mind your own business," Candace said aloud, "I already have a plan."

"A plan? You mean yanking mom around the house with nothing to show? That's a joke. You're a joke."

Candace growled and covered her eyes with a pillow, trying to ignore the insults.

"You have to plan for our future… a future without Phineas and Ferb... a future without mom and the other unbelievers."

"Shut up!" Candace yelled as she sat up quickly, "I'm the one in charge here! I make the decisions and I say we just...well, I have to..."

She bent over and fell into her palms.

"You don't know, do you?" The voice said smugly, "It's not rocket science. I mean, I know you're stupid, but even you can follow simple instructions."

Candace raked her fingers into the sides of her scalp as she started to whimper.

"Please, just stop..." She pleaded.

"I'll stop when you do what I say. I'll stop when you do what must be done. You know what must be done," The voice said soothingly, "so do it."

Candace clasped the back of her long neck and pulled downward. Tears blotched her pure skirt and she shook anxiously.

"Fine..." She whispered, while wiping tears away from her face.

She sat up straight and slowly looked across her room, gaining a fleeting moment of nostalgia.

"Things didn't used to be like this." She said quietly.

With a sigh, Candace gently hopped to her feet and headed for the door.

As Candace sauntered down to the first floor, she couldn't hide the fleeting memories of growing up. With each step, she recalled another cheery memory of her brothers raising her spirits when she was younger. They had fixed the toys she had broken and bandaged her scraped knee without hesitation. Once she had reached the kitchen, her newly-found determination had faltered.

"Who am I kidding?" She thought to herself, "I can't do anything about it."

She took a seat at the kitchen table.

"You're right," The voice started, "You can't do anything right."

Candace just shook her head and crossed her arms.

"They're my brothers. I can't hurt them. I love them."

"Do you? After all the times they've left you stranded with mom and made us look like fools, you say you actually love them? You really believe they don't know what happens to all that stuff they make?"

"Well," Candace mumbled nonassertively, as her head sank.

"You don't! Stop fooling yourself!" The voice castigated, "We hate them! We hate everyone who has ever helped them! It's either them or us and everyone has sided with them...their friends, mom, and even Stacy."

Candace stared intently at some faint scratches on the tabletop as she listened.

"You can't put up with this shit anymore, Candace. It stops today!" The voice yelled, the sound resonating greatly in Candace's head, "Either they go away, or you do… today!"

"Alright," Candace said in a steely tone, "I'll take care of it. I can't take it anymore...not them, you, mom, my so-called friend, or anyone else!"

The voice became strangely silent. Candace pressed her hands against the sides of her head like a vice as she desperately tried to formulate a plan. She knew her brothers had to be stopped, but she didn't know just how to make it happen. Several minutes passed as she stewed in hatred before she heard a rumbling coming from the garage. She looked up just in time to see the door open, revealing her step-father.

"Oh, hello Candace." He said as he fumbled with several ornate antiques.

"Hi." She responded, unenthusiastically.

He carried the bygone relics over to the kitchen counter and placed them in a neat line.

"These Nepalese and Tibetan artifacts are quite exquisite, don't you think?"

Candace watched him silently has he handled a metal vase with heavy patina. She spied a lump of thick cloth amongst the vases, jewelry, and masks.

"That's a kukri," He said, picking up on her inquisitive eyes, "It's a traditional Nepalese knife still used today I do believe."

He carefully placed the vase back in its spot and started to unravel the knife from its makeshift sheath.

"This particular one is nearly a hundred and thirty years old and still quite sharp."

He displayed the machete-like, curved blade for a moment. Candace only nodded in response, totally uninterested.

"Yes, well, could you be a dear and fetch my paperwork from the trunk, Candace?" He said as he laid the kukri on top of the unfurled cloth.

"Okay." She groaned as she laboriously climbed from the chair.

"Is something wrong, dear?" He asked as she moped towards the garage.

She furrowed her lower lip for a moment before shaking her head.

"Nope."

Candace continued into the garage and opened rear of the car. She looked down at an excessive amount of papers stuffed into a worn, red folder. After picking it up, she hugged it just like it was her first anxious day of high school again. As she walked back toward the door, she passed a weary work bench. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted some tools perched on the metal hooks of a cork board and it stopped her in her mid-step. She turned slightly and looked at a sledge hammer resting on the wall. With some difficulty, she resisted a great compulsion to touch it.

"Go on." Said the voice from within, "Take it. Hold it."

Feeling her inhibitions fading, Candace couldn't restrain herself. She tossed the red folder on the work bench and reached across to feel the cool, laminated handle of the hammer. As she brought it close, she slid her fingers across the cold steel of its head.

"He never spoke up for you even after seeing the truth." The voice continued in a soothing tone, "He threw you under the bus more than once."

Candace let her fingers slide from the head to grip the handle. Her hold grew stronger as the voice fanned the flames inside.

"We're past the point of no return. It's them or us. Please, save us, Candace."

Candace's face became a frostbitten glare and she took very deliberate steps back towards the kitchen. She saw her step-father with his back to her as he tinkered with a fragile band on some ancient jewelry. Holding the hammer close to her chest, she approached him silently.

"Have you had lunch yet?" He said, hearing Candace's clacking footsteps.

She remained silent and raised the hammer from her chest.

"Candace?" He said as he turned his head.

"Do it!" The voice commanded.

With absolute obedience, Candace swung the sledgehammer with all the might her puny frame could muster, striking her step-father flush against the temple. He fell immediately against the counter and slid down behind it. As he fell, his arm grazed a ceramic pot, causing it to wobble and spin wildly. His glasses skidded across the floor as his body landed with a thud.

"Kill him!" The voice screamed as Candace stalked her prey, "Do it!"

She raised the hammer high with an evil grimace plastered across her face and growled as she delivered another vicious blow to the back of the neck. She repeated her attack again and again. With each blow, the anger that had festered for years spewed forth, making her continuously more vicious. The attack was over in a perceptual heartbeat. Over thirty blows were landed, leaving Candace gasping for air as she let the bloody hammer rest against her pristine shoe. She felt intense relief as if a long-rooted burden had finally been eradicated Her shirt, shirt, and forearms were speckled with jagged droplets of blood. As the initial strike rendered Lawrence silent, only Candace's heavy breathing and the relentless ticking of the kitchen clock could be heard.

"This is only the beginning." The voice assured her as Candace looked down at a bloody corpse.

Candace took a deep breath as she leaned against the counter and placed the dripping hammer between two antique vases. She suddenly felt nauseated and bent her torso over the counter top, breathing deeply, trying to control her bilious stomach. The insistent ticking of the clock ever so slowly seemed to yield as she sought to recover. The flush of emotion reddened her complexion and it felt as if she had been frozen in time. As the color drained from her face, everything seemed to become unfrozen. Candace rose from the counter and looked over at her step-father lying in a pool of blood.

"You never meant anything to me." She said very clearly.

With a smearing wipe, she cleared the chilled sweat from her face. As if having an epiphany, she turned her head towards the open doorway off to her left. She grabbed the handle of the sledgehammer. She knew there was still unfinished business to be settled. As she approached the doorway, she recognized the mumblings of her brothers coming from outside. A glint caught her eye. She turned and spied the ancient Nepalese blade Lawrence had unwrapped earlier. She froze for a moment as her eyes darted between the kukri and the back door. She sprinted towards her new fancy, leaving the sledgehammer to rest on its flat head.

"What is happening today is fate." The voice in her mind said, "Do not let them escape!"

Candace acknowledged with a grunt as she wrapped her fingers around the smooth, wooden grip of the kukri before lightly hopping to the back door. She wrapped her other hand over her grip and realized she was trembling and breathing quite irregularly. As the doorknob turned, she suddenly reverted to one-handed control of the knife and quickly hid it behind her.

"Hi, Candace." Phineas said with a wave, spearheading the way inside.

She responded with a nervous grin. Ferb and Isabella followed inside and Phineas closed the door behind everyone.

"W-where is everyone?" Candace asked restlessly.

"Oh, Buford and Baljeet?" Phineas said as the others stood by his side.

"Well, Baljeet is off attending some seminar on quantum statics..." Isabella interjected.

Candace nodded feverishly, keeping her labored smile.

"And Buford, well..." Phineas said as her raised a brow, "He didn't really say much other than he had some favors to take care of."

Candace shot a glance behind, only seeing a bit of blood from Lawrence's pool coming out from the other side of the counter. She turned a little more to see the sledgehammer still standing, its head stained with dark blood.

"Are you okay, Candace?" Isabella asked, "You're all...sweaty and..."

"Yeah, yeah..." Candace replied, gasping a bit.

Ferb stared on in silence.

"Are you sure?" Phineas asked, scratching his head.

Candace nearly hyperventilated as she fought her nerves.

"Kill them, Candace. Now!" The voice commanded.

Candace closed her eyes tightly as she continued to breathe hard.

"Candace, do you want me to get…" Phineas started to ask, concerned.

Candace's grin suddenly turned to an evil scowl as she brought the kukri from behind, raising it high into the air. It was quickly wielded by both hands as the kids innocently looked on in awe. She briefly made eye contact with Ferb. With a screech, she swung the front-heavy blade and buried it several inches into his head. Ferb immediately fell to his knees, only being held up by Candace's grip on the weapon. She looked over to the others with a demonic glare. Isabella covered her mouth as she shyly stepped backwards. Phineas remained frozen as Candace violently swung Ferb's head back and forth, trying to wrench free the blade. After a few strong tugs, the rusted spot near the handle snapped, causing Ferb's corpse to crash to the floor. Isabella finally snapped out of her haze and bolted for the back door. Candace launched her fractured missile and struck Isabella near her temple just as the door started to open. She cried out in pain as Candace lunged forth, pressing her body against the door, latching it.

"She's just as guilty as the-" The voice started.

"I know!" Candace growled as she just missed grabbing Isabella's hair.

Isabella tugged vigorously at Phineas's shirt as she ran by, urging him to run.

"You're not getting away." Candace taunted as she walked briskly towards them.

"Candace! Candace, stop! Please!" Isabella pleaded as she clutched Phineas's hand tightly.

Candace only heard the voice in her head and it commanded her to finish her mission once and for all. Isabella managed to pull Phineas out of shock and the duo ran, with Candace closely behind. As they rounded an open doorway leading into the den, Candace jumped. With one of her long legs, she kicked Phineas in the back of the head. The blow gave him a head-first boost directly into the side of the fireplace. With the sickening thud he was separated from his consciousness and slumped to the floor, holding Isabella back. She refused to let go of his hand until she caught a glimpse of the murderous rage in Candace's eyes. That moment of hesitation allowed Candace to seize a handful of Isabella's hair before she could flee again. Candace yanked hard, pulling the petite girl to the ground.

"There's no turning back." The voice muttered in Candace's ears, "She was silent all this time...she saw everything and never backed you up. Not once."

"Candace, please! Why are you-" Isabella pleaded frantically.

"Shut your fucking mouth!" Candace screamed as she climbed atop her foe.

She slammed her palm over Isabella's mouth and pinched her nose with the other hand.

"You wanna be silent? I'll make you fucking silent!" Candace yelled, trembling with anger.

Isabella struggled, pulling at Candace's wrists and thrashing as much as she could under the pressure. Candace continued trying to smother her, but Isabella managed to gain a breath every few terrifying seconds. With quick back-and-forth motion, she managed to remove most of Candace's hand from her mouth. As she gasped for breath, two of Candace's fingers accidentally slid inside as her hand tried to regain its position. Isabella immediately bit as hard as she could, making Candace shriek in pain. She tried pulling her hand out by pushing on Isabella's forehead for a moment, but started wailing at her face with a closed fist in desperation. One of the random strikes landed directly on the tip of Isabella's nose, forcing her to release the bloody digits. Blinded by rage, Candace ignored the pain and continued to pummel Isabella with both fists.

"You little bitch!" Candace growled as she held off for a moment.

Isabella was fully conscious, but bleeding profusely from the nose and a gash on her cheek. With renewed savagery, Candace wrapped her hands around her throat.

"I swear I'll silence you if I have to crush your neck." She said in a growling whisper, squeezing with as much strength as she could muster.

Isabella clutched again at Candace's wrists and struggled to free herself. However, Candace's grip was locked with fury. As seconds passed, Candace felt Isabella's grip weakening and her body squirming less and less. Finally, the girl was still and her hands slumped to the side. Yet, Candace refused to release her hold as the voice in her head egged her to try and literally crush Isabella's spine. After another warped frame of time, Candace suddenly loosened her grip and felt the exhaustion in her hands. She wiggled her fingers as if playing an invisible piano and looked at the little teeth marks marring one of her now throbbing hands. Abundant sweat dripped from her face and she gasped as if she had just nearly drowned. After a moment of rest, she looked down between her knees at her motionless victim.

"End her." The voice said callously.

"She's dead." Candace said softly.

"Make sure she pays the price for her guilt!" The voice commanded.

"Alight, alright!" Candace said as she rose to her feet.

She glanced around the room, pausing a moment to glare at her unconscious brother. In her search, she spotted lamps, magazines, a purse, and other non-threatening items. Then, she looked at the fireplace. She spied the black handle of a long poker in its holder. She quickly walked over and unsheathed it as if she was a medieval knight. The end of the poker was pointed like a spear with triangular spikes jutting from the point. She straddled herself over Isabella's body and carefully pressed the poker's tip over her heart.

"You brought this on yourself." She said with a tired, raspy calmness as beads of sweat rolled down her young face.

She placed her palms over one another on top of the ball-shaped handle shoved down with all her weight. The spear-like head unceremoniously plunged into Isabella's chest and immediately blood seeped from within. After admiring her work for a moment, Candace twisted the poker as she yanked it out. Blood began flowing more readily and started pooling on the carpet. Using the poker as a cane to prop herself up, Candace unleashed a sudden burst of emotion. Tears flowed unabashedly as she slowly slouched to her knees next to her victim, still clutching the poker in front of her.

"You're not...we're not done." The voice began, "Don't stop now."

Candace bawled uncontrollably and she let her head sink.

"Why did you make me do this?" She said aloud, "I didn't want to kill any kids...or my parents."

"But you have to." The voice whispered, "You're past the point of no return now...you can't undo what has been done. You can only finish the job. Now!"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Candace yelled, clutching the bloody poker against her chest as she dabbed the floor with tears.

The voice seemed to obey and Candace sobbed quietly for a bit.

"Kevin." A deep voice bellowed from a little ways ahead.

Candace pulled her head up and saw the striped visitant that had plagued her for years.

"You're going to hell, Kevin." The zebra said with a chuckle.

"Fuck you." Candace growled in quiet anger as she twisted the poker in her hand.

The zebra laughed again.

"You've really impressed me, you know. I never thought you had it in you to get the job done. You know, with you being a flake."

"I'll kill you." Candace said with almost a whimper as her furrowed eyes squeezed out a few tears.

The zebra let out a bellowing laugh and slowed faded into nothing.

"You know you can't."

Candace sighed in disgusted agreement and looked over at her victim. Isabella's eyes were slightly open and the sparkle of youth was now a milky glaze. She looked down at the murder weapon and tossed it away in disgust. She flopped over to her side and folded her arms tightly together. After a bit, she brought her knees closer to her chest and began to hug them, all the while failing at attempts to suppress her tears.

"What do you think you're doing?" The zebra said, his sound emanating from directly behind.

Candace refused to acknowledge him, clutching her knees even more tightly.

"I know you're not finished. More importantly, you know you're not finished."

Candace stared at the carpet, trying in vain to tune him out.

"You've only eliminated the peripheral. Your blood brother and mother are the ones who have really caused the strife in your life and you know you can't be free with them still around, mocking you constantly."

Candace continued to stare, faintly making out the crimson spearhead of the poker out of the corner of her eye.

"It wasn't hard to kill three people, was it?" The zebra said in a suddenly soothing voice, "Even a pathetic, vain, airhead like yourself could do it."

Candace continued her catatonic resistance, but the insults fueled her already deep-seated furnace of hatred.

"What? Do you really think you can just stop and everything will be okay?" The zebra said, his voice seemingly getting closer, "Do you really think the police and your friends are going to understand why you just stabbed a third grader in the heart?"

Her threshold was finally breached and she rose to face her castigater. He was nowhere in sight.

"I'm not going away Kevin." The zebra whispered from the back of her head, "I've been a part of you and I always will be."

Candace bent over and pulled roughly at her hair.

"We're all a part of you, Candace." Candace's long, unwanted, unembodied voice added, "You're not just doing this for yourself."

"She's right, Kevin, three more must die before you are free."

Candace looked at her slowly shifting brother.

"Three?" She muttered aloud, "Phineas…mom..."

"And us." The zebra said.

"We can't live in a world that doesn't understand us and what we have to do to survive." The voice added.

Candace sighed and let her head droop.

"You're right." She barely mumbled, "I have to finish the job and then I can be at peace."

"Good," the zebra said with a hint of satisfaction, "Now get the poker."

Candace slowly rose to her feet and walked deliberately to the makeshift spear. As she bent to pick it up, she turned towards the sounds of her brother's return to consciousness. Phineas started to push himself up from the floor. With renewed vigor, Candace walked briskly over to him and flipped him over with a flick of her foot. He looked up to her groggily.

"Sorry, Phineas, but you're not getting away with it today." She said as she wrapped her hands around the base of the poker.

She clasped it tightly and thrust downward at his center mass. Phineas only squealed lightly, not fully awake. Candace ripped the weapon out and meticulously repeated the attack several times. With each pull, a bit of blood splattered her white skirt. After nearly twenty rapid stabs, she stepped back and looked at his perforated chest, panting. Satisfied with his mortal wounds, she dropped the poker at his feet and wiped the sweat from her face.

"Don't stop now," the voice said, "You must..."

"Shut up!" Candace screamed to herself, "I've had enough! I know what to do! I'm in control of this body and I'm going to do it now. Right freaking now!"

"You're not in control. You never were, Kevin." The zebra said calmly.

"If you were in control, you would not have gotten us into this mess!" The voice added, "It's us versus them just like it's always been!"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Candace screamed, ripping her fingers into her face.

"Mom is the main reason for everything." The voice said.

"Yes, your mother chose to ignore you. She chose." The zebra added, "It's time for her to suffer the consequences for doing so."

Candace continued to mar her face with red streaks.

"You want it ended?" Candace said bluntly, "I'll freaking end it! Right now!"

She briskly marched away from Phineas and Isabella, walked through the kitchen and into the garage, ignoring her other victims.

"Use the monkey wrench." The voice commanded."  
"I'll use what I want." Candace riposted, spying the wall of tools hanging above the homemade workbench.

In the center, near the top of a corkboard, rested a woodcutting axe. Candace reached high and brought it down into both hands. She immediately noticed the black, rubber cover on the cutting edge. With a quick tug, she revealed the unused edge.

"End...it." The voice said."

Candace flung the flat, blunt side of the axe against herself. It connected with the forehead, tearing her flesh.

"Stop telling me what to do!" She growled.

With her adrenaline masking some of the pain, Candace set off briskly once again through the kitchen, ignoring those slain by her hand. She marched into the living room, blood trickling down from her forehead. She didn't find her mother on the sofa as expected. In a show of rage, she swung the axe across the nearby coffee table, knocking off its decorative glass bowl of potpourri. She kicked the table out of the way as she forged her way towards the second floor. She ascended the staircase with words of encouragement from her unwelcome companions and came to her parents bedroom. The door was slightly ajar, so Candace quietly pushed it open with the axe head. There, in bed, was her mother asleep with a maroon pillow covering her face above the nose. The soft carpet quieted Candace's steps and she soon stood at her mother's side.

"She is the cause of all this, you know." The voice reminded her.

Candace snarled at the unwanted noise in her head and raised the axe high above. The first blow was to the stomach, waking Linda in intense agony. She screamed in pain and confusion as more and more blows were upon her. She was overwhelmed with her daughter's great ferocity and offered no resistance. A strike to the head rendered her unconscious without ever identifying her attacker, yet Candace continued hacking. Her onslaught only ended when she heard a thump. It was caused by the severed head of Linda rolling off the bead and hitting the ground. Candace immediately tossed the axe to the side, fell to her knees, and grabbed her mother's head. After turning it to face her she began to scream at the top of her lungs.

"You made me do this!"

She burst into tears once again and clutched what remained of her mother against her chest as she continued to blame her.

"Why did you make me do this?" She said, bawling, and rocking back and forth.

"It's nearly over, Kevin." The zebra chimed in after the flow of tears waned.

"No, not yet!" Candace said, climbing to her feet, "She has to see what she's done."

Candace stormed her way out of the dim bedroom and back down the stairs.

"See! She what you caused!" She screamed as she pointed the head at the bodies of Lawrence and Ferb.

She continued into the next room and showed the head Phineas and Isabella's bodies.

"You should have believed me!" Candace screamed repeatedly.

She let her arms drop to the side, clutching the head by only a clump of hair before letting it drop casually to the floor. Unchecked emotion and a pent up rage being released suddenly led to a feral, wailing growl that continued for nearly a minute. Candace became suddenly weak as her scream subsided and started frantically looking for a safe place to sit. She navigated through the carnage until collapsing on the bottom steps of the staircase. As she pulled down on the back of her head with clasped hands, she noticed the marks of blood strewn about her shirt, skirt, and skin. She couldn't stop shaking and started screaming again, drowning out her unwanted companions.


	3. Chapter 3

The late afternoon sky was filled with billowing cumulus clouds and the humidity was unusually high. Stacy was already sweating as she walked down the sidewalk, nearing her friend's house. She bypassed several neighborhood children on skateboards, bicycles, and some playing catch. In her hands she held a small gift wrapped in pink paper.

"I hope she's not still in a funk." She thought, approaching the front door of the Flynn-Fletcher household.

She let loose four loud, deep raps with the side of her fist and waited patiently. After several seconds passed, she rang the door bell.

"Maybe she went out for a walk." Stacy thought, peering over her shoulder.

Suddenly, the door's mechanics came to life as it unlocked and opened. Candace stood there, covered in blood and scratch marks.

"Oh, my God!" Stacy yelled, dropping the present.

She immediately entered the house and gently grabbed Candace by her forearms.

"What happened?" She spouted repeatedly.

Candace remained silent and was guided further inside by her friend.

"Candace, please tell me." Stacy said, "Who did this to you?"  
Candace suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"Candace?" Stacy said, still holding her friend's arms.

"You're right, she failed me so many times." Candace said flatly.

Stacy was puzzled and let go of Candace's arms. Candace looked directly at her but said nothing.

"I'm going to call 911." Stacy said as she started to reach into her pocket.

Without any warning Candace lashed out and grabbed Stacy by the throat with both hands. Instinctively, Stacy clutched at both wrists attacking her, dropping her phone in the process. She tried to plead with her friend, but couldn't get the words out. Candace slammed her against the wall, pulled her back, and slammed her again. Pictures fell, shattering against the hardwood floor of the entranceway. Twisting and thrashing, Stacy managed to free herself. However, as she tried to flee, she tripped over Candace's leg and fell flat on her face. She quickly made her way back to her feet and ran for the still-open front door when something hard hit her in the back of the head, sending her face first to the ground. The blow dazed her a bit. She tried to rise again, but lost her balance and rolled over to her back. She saw Candace approaching quickly, but then suddenly moving to the side.

"C-candace." Stacy mumbled, trying to form a cogent sentence.

She saw the object that knocked her down being picked up; it was a thick, glass vase.

"You're going to die for what you've done." Candace said, raising the vase high.

Before Stacy could question her, the vase came down swiftly. She managed to absorb most of the blow with her arms, but many others found their way to the torso or through her guard.

"Shut up! I'm do it with this." Candace yelled, looking towards the wall and shaking the vase.

Stacy was confused and raised her hands to block another incoming shot. Candace raised the clear vase high and grit her teeth for a particularly brutal strike.

"I'm dead!" Stacy yelled out of desperation, "I'm already dead."

Candace stopped in the middle of her swing and looked down at Stacy.

"You already killed me, okay? It's over." Stacy said with some conviction in her voice.

Candace seemed to trail off for a bit before suddenly yelling.

"She's dead, alright?"

There was another pause as she looked to her left.

"No!" Candace screamed as she threw the vase against the wall, shattering it, "She's dead and now we're going to die!"

She stepped over Stacy and walked out the front door. Still somewhat groggy, Stacy rolled over and crawled towards her phone.

The "Teenaged Annihilator" was still a hot story in the Danville and national press even though nearly a month and a half had passed. Published photos in newspapers and online inadvertently turned Stacy into a bit of a celebrity. Nestled within a commercial district in downtown Danville there was a small behavioral health clinic. Inside was a typical professional office setting. There were uncomfortable gray chairs lining the walls and placed back-to-back in two aisles in the center of the room, a few plastic plants in the corners, several gardening magazines with the addressee's information cut out, and a dull shade of yellow paint on the walls. A few patients were spread out the room, each doing what they could to pass the time. Amongst them was Stacy, who tapped at her phone to kill the boredom. Though it seemed like an eternity, it wasn't long until her name was called and she sat across her psychologist for the third time.

"How are you, Stacy?" the young psychologist asked as she crossed her legs.

"I'm doing okay, Dr. Morris...I guess." Stacy said as she got comfortable on the thickly-padded chair.

"Did you go and visit your friend in the hospital like you planned?" The doctor asked.

Stacy clasped her hands together on her lap and looked at them.

"I did and it didn't solve anything."

The psychologist leaned forward a bit.

"Why do you say that?"  
Stacy sighed.

"She's not Candace anymore...I think she's lost forever."

"It may take a long time to bring back the friend you knew," The doctor, leaning even closer, "At least she is still alive."

"I almost wish the police hadn't stopped her from jumping off that bridge." Stacy said and quickly added, "I mean, it's not that I want her dead...I just don't want her to have to live in the mental hospital for the rest of her life, even if she deserves to."

The doctor sat up straight again.

"Well, I can't say for sure what will happen to Candace. I suspect she will be given leniency due to her dissociative condition, but I like I said it will take some time until she is fully stabilized."

Stacy bit at her bottom lip.

"I'm not sure if I'm ever going to see her again. I know that makes me a terrible person, but..."

She stopped mid-sentence and raked her dangling hair off to the side.

"You're not a terrible person for not wanting to see someone close to you in a terrible state, Stacy. The fact that you went in the first place shows that you are a compassionate person who cares about your friend."

A small grin appeared on Stacy.

"It's okay if you wait a while to go back," the doctor continued, "only if you want to, of course. Nobody will force you."

Stacy nodded. The doctor leaned back and studied her patient briefly before speaking.

"What about your dreams? Have you been having any flashbacks?"

"I haven't been having any nightmares anymore, but every now and then I start seeing the dead bodies when I close my eyes." Stacy sighed, "I really wish I didn't go further into the house that day."

She looked out the small office window at the overcast sky. It was now spitting rain, matching Stacy's welling eyes. The doctor continued to console her and helped to keep her thought patterns from turning self-destructive.

When the session ended, Stacy got her next appointment card and stood in the foyer of the office to avoid the rain and await her ride. She stared out the glass doors, wondering if she should have taken Candace's antics more seriously. She knew her friend would be in a mental ward for quite some time and feared she may even end up in prison. Stacy also had enough foresight to realize she herself would require a spell of recovery for the trauma she endured and the carnage she discovered.

"I'm already dead." She thought, trying to figure out what made her yell such a thing off the cuff.

She watched a car pass that she mistook for her mother's.

"If I didn't say that, Candace would have beaten me to death with a vase." She continued, "Why the hell would I want to still call her my friend?"  
She immediately felt guilty.

"How can I say that? She wasn't in her right mind...that's pretty obvious."

She sighed and crossed her arms.

"I'm not sure if I can ever look at her the same way, though, even if she does go back to normal someday."

She shook her head.

"I don't know. Maybe...I don't know. There's no point in thinking about it right now. It's not like I can do anything about it."

She spotted another car like her mother's and this time it pulled into the parking lot.

"I love you, Candace. I may be the only one left in the world that does."  
The car came to a halt right in front of the doors and Mrs. Hirano waved at her daughter.

"Yes, I will go back to see you, Candace. Maybe not in the immediate future, but eventually I will and we can heal together."

Stacy smiled to herself and vowed to bring her best friend back from the brink of insanity, no matter how long it would take.


End file.
